Do you know the variety? There are a number of peppers that are
not shaped like the bell peppers most commonly found in supermarkets.
BTW, if the peppers are still green, they are probably not ripe.
Wait a bit longer. After they turn red, or yellow, or orange, they
will be sweeter and richer in vitamins.
-frank
The shape depends on the variety. Some are naturally long and skinny. You are
looking for walls that are relatively thick and meaty.
Don Gholston
I have observed that peppers will cross-pollinate resulting in fruit
with characteristics of both parents. If you or your neighbors are
growing banana peppers or hot peppers, then this can explain your
results.
Actually, this makes no sense to me botanically. I can believe that the
seeds will be a hybrid, but I can't see that the shape of the fruit is
determined by the genetic makeup of the seed. Nevertheless, I have had
it happen to me more than once. Now I grow only one variety of pepper
and none of my neighbors grow peppers.
Guy Bradley
St. Louis MO
zone 6
On Thu, 11 Jun 1998, Amy Webb wrote:
> I'm growning some green bell peppers and have noticed that all the
> peppers are long and skinny. They taste good, but what causes this odd
> shape?
>
You almost certainly have a different variety of peppers from the fat
round ones you've seen at the supermarket. Chances are yours will be at
least as good.
Peppers grow in many different shapes.
Gary
This makes no sense to me either. For years I have grown 12 or more
varieties of peppers in close proximity to one another and have never
observed any unexpected fruit types. And I've never observed sweet
peppers turning out hot when grown next to hot peppers, either, but
these claims are made. Do you mean that an entire group of pepper
plants that were supposed to be one type produced only peppers that were
"mixed up" or that certain plants within a group were abnormal, or that
individual fruits on a given plant were atypical of the rest of the
fruits on that plant? I think I would be much more suspicious of the
original seeds and/or the labeling of purchased seedlings.
tg